No abstract available.

Paraffin embedded sections of 64 breast carcinomas were stained immunohistochemically using a commercially available monoclonal antibody to estrogen receptor. To improve the sensitivity of the staining, the authors used a Pronase enzyme pretreatment, biotinylated antibody to rat IgG as secondary antibody, streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase as tertiary reagent and fast red as chromogen. When compared to the results of estrogen receptor enzyme immunoassay, this method yielded an 85.9% concordance rate, 86.2% specificity and 85.7% sensitivity. When compared to estrogen receptor immunocytochemistry(ER-ICA) in frozen section and considering the inherent advantages of immunohistochemical staining over biochemical assay, the major advantages of this method are good morphology, suitability for retrospective study and reduced cost of staining due to dilution of expensive primary antibody. Thus, this method offers an alternative to ER assay using fresh tissue and should provide additional valuable information about estrogen receptor
Adult ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms/*metabolism ; Carcinoma/*metabolism ; Comparative Study ; Female ; Human ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Middle Aged ; Paraffin Embedding ; Prognosis ; Receptors, Estrogen/*analysis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

No abstract available.
Humans ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Pregnancy*

This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence rates and to explore associated factors of sarcopenic obesity (SO) in 2,221 Koreans over 60 yr-of age from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009). Participants were assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by body weight was used to define sarcopenia and waist circumference was used to define obesity. We estimated the prevalence rates of SO according to age-groups, sex and region. In addition, each group was compared by demographic characteristics, metabolic status, nutrition, and physical activity. The prevalence rates of SO were 6.1% (95% confidential interval [CI] = 6.1-6.2) for men and 7.3% (95% CI = 7.3-7.3) for women, respectively. SO was positively associated with no current working and the number of combined medical conditions. High serum insulin level was positively associated with SO, whereas vitamin D was negatively associated with SO in both men and women. In conclusion, the prevalence rates of SO are 6.1% in men and 7.3% in women. SO is associated with insulin resistance, inappropriate nutrition, and low physical activity.
Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Databases, Factual ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin/blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutritional Status ; Obesity/*epidemiology/etiology ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Sarcopenia/*complications ; Sex Factors ; Vitamin D/blood ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND: Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsy (HNPP) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth1A (CMT1A) are autosomal dominant inherited demyelinating neuropathy associated with the deletion or duplication of 17p11.2-p12 segments including the gene for peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22). The aim of this study is to compare the electrophysiological features of these two disorders genetically related. METHODS: We studied the nerve conduction studies of genetically confirmed 43 HNPP in 23 families and 31 CMT1A patients in 13 families. RESULTS: Nerve conduction studies presented prolonged terminal latency, slow nerve conduction velocity and low amplitude of compound muscle or nerve action potentials in both diseases, but more severe in CMT1A. The incidence of conduction block with or without dispersion was higher in CMT1A than HNPP, with 23.6% and 5.7% respectively. CMT1A revealed a rather even distribution of abnormalities in segmental nerve conduction studies than HNPP. HNPP showed frequent involvements at the segment of entrapment-prone site such as peroneal and ulnar nerves. The characteristical differences of these diseases could be defined by the quantitative correlation study. The correlation coefficients of nerve conduction velocities between tested nerves in the same or different limbs and between tested segments of the same nerve was much higher in CMT1A than HNPP. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that CMT1A presents with more severe diffuse and uniform slowing, whereas HNPP presents with focal electrophysiological abnormalities.
Action Potentials ; Extremities ; Humans ; Incidence ; Myelin Sheath ; Neural Conduction* ; Paralysis* ; Statistics as Topic ; Ulnar Nerve

PURPOSE: Neuroblastoma is a malignant neoplasm which arises from primitive sympathetic neuroblasts, and occasionally can matured from a malignant neuroblastoma into a benign ganglioneuroma. It has the highest rate of spontaneous regression of any pediatric tumor. We performed a retrospective study of pathologic features after combination therapy in advanced neuroblastoma. Prognostic effects of the individual morphologic feature and prognostic groupings according to modified Shimada classification systems were analyzed. METHODS: The treatment results for six patients with neuroblastoma seen at Keimyung University from Jan. 1991 to June 2000 were analyzed. Patients were treated with a combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, and classified by two major prognostic criteria based on morphological features of neuroblastoma, such as modified Shimada classification and histologic grading. RESULTS: Three cases were classified to a good histologic group; among them, two cases survived, but one case was lost in follow-up. There were three cases classified in a poor histologic group. All of these patients expired due to sepsis and hemorrhagic pancreatitis. CONCLUSION: Prognostic classification due to pathologic findings had significant value in evaluating the survival rate of neuroblastoma patients.
Classification ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganglioneuroma ; Humans ; Neuroblastoma* ; Pancreatitis ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure family resilience for Korean families with a chronically ill child, and to test the validity and reliability of the instrument. METHOD: The items of instruments used based on the researchers' previous study of concept analysis of Korean family resilience. Nineteen item scales were developed with five domains. In order to test reliability and validity of the scale, data were collected from 231 families, who had a child with a chronic illness. Data was collected between August and September of 2001 in a 3rd level University Hospital in Seoul, Korea. RESULT: The results were as follows: As a result of the item analysis, 19 items were selected from the total of 37 items, excluding items with low correlation with the total scale. Five factors were evolved by factor analysis, which explained 56.4% of the total variance. The first factor 'Family strength' explained 28.5%, 2nd factor 'Family maturity' 8.7%, 3rd factor 'The ability to use of external resources' 7.0%, 4th factor 'Control' 6.6%, 5th factor 'The driving force for finance' 5.7%. The attributes in these factors were different with those identified by concept analysis of the family resilience in Korean families from the previous study. Cronbach's alphacoefficient of this scale was .8039 and Guttman spilt- half coefficient was .8184. CONCLUSION: The study support the reliability and validity of the scale. Because the main concept of family resilience was family strength, there were distinct differences in dimensions of family functioning scales.
Child ; Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Korea ; Reproducibility of Results ; Seoul ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop the instrument to measure family functioning for Korean family with a chronic ill child, and to test the validity and reliability of the instrument. METHOD: The items of instrument were consisted based on researchers' previous study of concept analysis of the Korean family functioning. Twenty six item scale was developed with six domains. In order to test reliability and validity of the scale, data were collected from the 231 families, who have a child with a chronic illness. Data was collected between August and September in 2001 in a General Hospital in Seoul, Korea. RESULT: The results were as follows:As a result of the item analysis, 24 items were selected from the total of 26 items, excluding items with low correlation with total scale. Six factors were evolved by factor analysis. Six factors explained 61.4% of the total variance. The first factor 'Affective bonding' explained 15.4%, 2nd factor 'External relationship' 11.8%, 3rd factor 'Family norm' 10.5%, 4th factor 'Role and responsibilities' 8.3%, 5th factor ' Communication' 7.9%, and the 6th factor 'Financial resource' explained 7.3%. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of this scale was .87 and Guttman spilt- half coefficient was .84. CONCLUSION: The study support the reliability and validity of the scale. There were distinct differences in dimensions of family functioning scales developed in the U. S.
Child ; Chronic Disease ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Korea ; Reproducibility of Results ; Seoul ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of motivation for treatment and to find out causes of dropping out from treatment in performing the constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). METHOD: Forty six stroke patients were treated with CIMT for 2 weeks. Prior to and after treatment, Fugl-Meyer motor assessment (FMA), Wolf motor function test (WMFT), box and block test (BBT), and 9 hole peg test, motor activity log (MAL) were performed, and for the evaluation of treatment motivation, motivation score (MS) was assessed in 24 patients. RESULTS: After 2 weeks of CIMT treatment, the mean value of FMA increased by 15.1%, WMFT by 19.5%, BBT by 35.8%, the time of 9 hole peg test decreased by 20.2%, and the "How well" sub-score of the increased MAL was 59.6% (p<0.05). Larger improvement of FMA score was observed in patients with high MS (p<0.05). Twelve out of 46 patients were dropped, 5 patients (18.5%) among 27 right side hemiplegic patients and 7 patients (38.9%) of 19 left side hemiplegic patients gave up the treatment in the middle, and the MS score of the quitted patients (35.3 point) was lower than that of patients who did not quit (40.5 point) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: After 2 weeks of CIMT treatment, larger improvement of movement capacity was observed in patients with high motivation. Among patients with low treatment motivation and old age, many patients were dropped out during CIMT.
Humans ; Motivation ; Motor Activity ; Paresis ; Stroke ; Wolves

BACKGROUND: Damaged mitochondria are removed by autophagy. Therefore, impairment of autophagy induces the accumulation of damaged mitochondria and mitochondrial dysfunction in most mammalian cells. Here, we investigated mitochondrial function and the expression of mitochondrial complexes in autophagy-related 7 (Atg7)-deficient beta-cells. METHODS: To evaluate the effect of autophagy deficiency on mitochondrial function in pancreatic beta-cells, we isolated islets from Atg7(F/F):RIP-Cre+ mice and wild-type littermates. Oxygen consumption rate and intracellular adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) content were measured. The expression of mitochondrial complex genes in Atg7-deficient islets and in beta-TC6 cells transfected with siAtg7 was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Baseline oxygen consumption rate of Atg7-deficient islets was significantly lower than that of control islets (P<0.05). Intracellular ATP content of Atg7-deficient islets during glucose stimulation was also significantly lower than that of control islets (P<0.05). By Oxygraph-2k analysis, mitochondrial respiration in Atg7-deficient islets was significantly decreased overall, although state 3 respiration and responses to antimycin A were unaffected. The mRNA levels of mitochondrial complexes I, II, III, and V in Atg7-deficient islets were significantly lower than in control islets (P<0.05). Down-regulation of Atg7 in beta-TC6 cells also reduced the expression of complexes I and II, with marginal significance (P<0.1). CONCLUSION: Impairment of autophagy in pancreatic beta-cells suppressed the expression of some mitochondrial respiratory complexes, and may contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction. Among the complexes, I and II seem to be most vulnerable to autophagy deficiency.
Adenosine ; Adenosine Triphosphate ; Animals ; Antimycin A ; Autophagy* ; Down-Regulation ; Glucose ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; Mice* ; Mitochondria ; Oxygen Consumption ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Respiration ; RNA, Messenger